In these recent years, television viewers across Europe could check that the Eastern European countries usually vote for their neighbours as a so-called phenomenon of neighbourly voting. But, do only the Eastern countries vote for the Eastern countries? Definitely not. The televote system now into force allows immigrants living in one country to vote for their motherlands. This is the diaspora voting, first raised and given the name by esctoday.com last year. Whereas we believe that the majority of people vote for the song, it seems that the percentage of immigrant population closely correlates with the number of points awarded by each country.

 

The Spanish website eurosongcontest.net is preparing a comprehensive analysis of the results from the last Eurovision Song Contest, held in Helsinki on May 10th and 12th. The main work tool is the census of every country, where everyone can check out the important ethnic and national minorities living in other countries.

 

Spain

 

The main flow of European immigrants coming to Spain has its source in Romania. More than 400,000 Romanians are currently living in Spain, and in the Eurovision Final the Spanish 12 points were cast to Romania. Something similar happens to Bulgaria: they are the second largest immigrants' community in the Iberian country, so it is not strange that Spain gave 10 points to Bulgaria. Ukrainians (7 points) and Armenians (8 points) are also numerous in Spain.

 

Austria

 

Former Yugoslavs are the main national minority in Austria, according to the latest Austrian census analysis. So, Serbia got 12 points, Bosnia received 8 and FYR Macedonia, 1. A large Turkish population is resident in Austria too, and Turkey was awarded 10 points from Austria.

 

Belarus

 

Half a million Poles are living in this former Soviet republic, but Belarus is not a country with a remarkable flow of foreign people. Poland received 5 points from Belarus in the semifinal.

 

Belgium

 

Twelve points to Turkey from Belgium. The Turks are the main minority living in Belgium, followed by Former Yugoslavs (Serbia, 7 points). There are two striking facts concerning the Belgian vote as well: Armenian and Greek communities are not very large (1% - 2%), but these countries got 10 and 8 points respectively. So it seems that both national minorities were really aware of voting for their representatives.

 

Denmark

 

In the case of Denmark, both neighbourly and diaspora voting seem to get together. Scandinavians, Turks, Germans and Balkan people share this country, so the voting result is according to this diversity: Sweden, 12 points; Turkey, 10 points; Bosnia & Herzegovina, 7 points; Serbia, 6 points; Germany, 5 points and Finland, 4 points.

 

Estonia

 

As a former Soviet republic, Estonia still houses important minorites from other countries that were part of the USSR before 1991. So it seems to be reasonable that the Estonian 12 points were cast to Russia, 8 to Ukraine, 7 to Belarus and 5 to Georgia.

 

Finland

 

Russia, the Eastern neighbour of Finland, received 3 points from the host country of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest. Serbia awarded the 12 from Finland (1.5% of the population is made up of immigrants from Former Yugoslavians living there) and Sweden 8 (neighbourly/diaspora).

 

France

 

280,000 Turks living in France surely collaborated to give Turkey the maximum votes. Other important minorities in France are the Serbs (8 points), the Romanians (7 points), the Spaniards (6 points) and the Bosnians (1 point). It is strange that Germany received null points from France - there are 120,000 Germans living there. The largest minority in France is that of Portugal, with 880,000 of the population hailing from mainland Europe's Western outpost. Not surprisingly, France awarded Portugal 10 points in the semi final.

 

Germany

 

It is already a tradition. Turkey, 12 points! Almost 2 million Turks living in Germany work every year to bring their natal country the maximum vote. Italians are the second largest minority in Germany but of course Italy do not participate. If they did, who would bet against Italy receiving 10 points from Germany. In their absense, the next two largest minorities are Greeks and Serbs supported their countries, awarding them with 10 and 8 points respectively.

 

ESC Today.

And of course we have Ireland's 12 to Lithuania, ten to Latvia and the United Kingdom's five to Poland and ten to Greece.

And of course we have Ireland's 12 to Lithuania, ten to Latvia and the United Kingdom's five to Poland and ten to Greece.

UK gave 3 to Poland :P And I told you the Armenian community was small in Benelux :funky:

And this is going to go on every year until some kinda change will occur.

Going back 2 juries would be also a wrong thing....then the most neutral song would

win and that would take the competition back ten years (no doubt Ireland would love that LOL).

But let's say there are 45 countries next year in the competition (the number usually increases

by a few countries every year) we should be able to tell beforehand where 35 of those countries

will award their 12 points.

Portugal gave its 10 and 12 points to Moldova and Ukraine.

No doubt the large Moldovan and Ukranian immigrant communities had something do with it.

I don't think most Portuguese would go for an Ukrainian drag queen.

 

I can't think of the last time that the UK didn't give points to Latvia...

 

Are there a lot of Latvian's in the UK?

I can't think of the last time that the UK didn't give points to Latvia...

 

Are there a lot of Latvian's in the UK?

Did we even give points to that utter dreadfulness last year? :mellow:

 

I don't think we gave them any points in 2003 for that F.L.Y thing :funky: And I don't think we gave them anything in 2004 when they couldn't get out of the semi with that Fomins & Kleins - Dziesma Par Laimi thing :lol:

We have done in 2005, 2006 and 2007 though - since they became an EU member! :P

We have done in 2005, 2006 and 2007 though - since they became an EU member! :P

Bah, fair play :lol:

Did we even give points to that utter dreadfulness last year? :mellow:

 

I don't think we gave them any points in 2003 for that F.L.Y thing :funky: And I don't think we gave them anything in 2004 when they couldn't get out of the semi with that Fomins & Kleins - Dziesma Par Laimi thing :lol:

 

Yep and that was so c**p, I couldn't believe we gave it points :(

I just noticed that we gave a point to Albania in the semi-final

 

What on earth would posess the UK to rank Albania's tragic song as our 10th favourite out of 28 :-0

I just noticed that we gave a point to Albania in the semi-final

 

What on earth would posess the UK to rank Albania's tragic song as our 10th favourite out of 28 :-0

I don't know :/ How many Albanians live in the UK?

 

More to the point, how many Albanians living in the UK have enough expendable income to get BBC3? :mellow:

I don't know :/ How many Albanians live in the UK?

 

More to the point, how many Albanians living in the UK have enough expendable income to get BBC3? :mellow:

 

I have no idea :lol: Perhaps the UK audience just liked the song (even though it was one of the 5 dire ones)

Hmm I'm surprised at that tbh as well. :unsure: That sort of music NEVER goes down well in the UK, so I don't see why a third rate sort of one did at all. At least we gave more points to Malta though. :lol:

Only 3 countries gave Malta points at all which is a massive shame...I hope they can do well again :-( It seems that when you get a last place in the ESC its hard (Malta 06, UK 03, Germany 05) to claw back any credibility quickly...

Poor Malta. :( Vertigo is really good though, I don't understand why it flopped. Though on the night it did kinda blend into all the other songs rather too easily.

Just noticed something else... Ireland gave Poland ten points in the semi (and 12 to Latvia) both of which have many immigrants in Ireland.

Another thought, the reason we have Serbia and Denmark high scores in the semi could've been because they did interviews with the presenters?

armenia got 12 points from Turkey and their song sucks at least Türkiye's song sounds like a song:)

armenia got 12 points from Turkey and their song sucks at least Türkiye's song sounds like a song:)

I'm assuming your dislike of Armenia may stem from your Turkish heritage, am I right? :thinking: